Condoms are seen as a necessary evil when it comes to safe sex. Rubbers are cheap, useful in preventing the spread of HIV and other STDs and, most importantly, 99.9 percent effective. The one caveat is that they feel like a pair of tight leather pants. A biochemist from Arizona State University has decided to make condoms more fun, and sexier to wear.

Shengxi Chen has designed "the condom of the future" using a material that mimics human skin, making condoms feel more comfortable for both partners. Unlike traditional rubbers, Chen's condom is made from a hydrophilic material, a smoother, water-loving material that has 1.7 times more tensile strength than normal condoms. This will allow men to better feel the sensations and not worry about breakage.

“We are trying to put it to the market because I think that it is truly interesting. It’s better than the other condoms, and we don’t want this to just stay in the lab," said Chen, in a statement.

With his patented condom, Chen has registered a start-up company called Joys LLC. However, barely-there condoms will not be on the market just yet. The next step is to obtain funding, through grants or investors, produce the condom in a commercial setting, and run it through the safety and performance tests required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Chen is aware, like many of us, that “With condoms, for many, many years nobody changed them.”

A new condom that makes safe sex feel hotter is something worth investing in.